The Happy Troller

[BackWoodsTracker]

Hi people! I finally got my dad's boat running great with the help from the Mercruiser section. It's a 1980 Silverline VC22 with a Mercruiser 228. The only time it runs rough now is when the Happy Troller plate is in the down position. I feel it is adding too much back pressure. My dad doesn't want to drill more holes in his anticavitation plate to move it back away from the prop. Has anybody on here drilled holes through the trolling plate to allow some flow? As it is now, we have to run at 1,000 rpms to keep it running good with the plate down. It runs like a sewing machine at 650 rpms with the plate up. We are also looking at putting a kicker motor on it, but it has a full teak swim platform that he wants to keep. We'll be fishing Lake Michigan from the port of Racine. Any input would be great.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: The Happy Troller

I don't know what the specs are for your engine but I would think adjusting the RPM up a little would help. How slow do you want to run? at 650rpm with the plate down I can't imagine that you are going too fast, and I know guys who troll with the main engine for salmon up to 3mph. Happy Trollers generally bring a boat down to the 1- 1.5 mph range.

If you do need to free up the prop a little and don't want to raise the rpm by adjusting the idle then I would cut a second notch in the half way up/down position and see how that runs, but it might not slow you down enough.

my 2 cents. Not saying it's right